Driver leaves injured passenger behind Saturday

The Perry County Sheriff's Department Saturday investigated an admittedly strange accident on Rt. 13/127 south of Pyatt's Wye.

At approximately 5:20 a.m. a sheriff's department deputy found Brad Gale, 32, Murphysboro, walking along the roadway.

What the deputy didn't know at the time was that Gale had been the driver of a car in an accident two hours earlier where his car rolled into a culvert.

Gale left his passenger, Dennis Nehrkorn, 58, out on the ground at the accident scene unattended until the 3:20 a.m. accident was discovered about two hours later.

Nehrkorn was taken to the Pinckneyville hospital. Gale was cited for leaving the scene of an accident.